PM controls bomb disposal robot

David Cameron took the controls of a bomb disposal robot as he visited troops
on the front line in Afghanistan.

1:30PM BST 29 Jun 2013

Prime Minister David Cameron was shown a remote-controlled improvised explosive device (IED) detection unit, during his visit to Camp Bastion in Helmand province, Afghanistan to coincide with Armed Forces Day.

The Prime Minister steered a Wheelbarrow robot using a remote control during a tour of the Lashkar Gah Durai forward operating base.

Mr Cameron also mimicked the action of launching a Desert Hawk 3 drone as he held the unmanned aerial vehicle.

He also announced that funding from bankers' Libor fines would be used to create a permament memorial to the 444 British personnel killed in Afghanistan.

He said: "I can announce today that we will be taking more money off the Libor fines and putting it in to military charities including building a permanent memorial at the Staffordshire Arboretum so that we can always remember and future generations can remember those that fell and died here in Afghanistan."

The plan to build a Bastion Memorial Wall at the National Arboretum in Staffordshire was awarded some of the almost £3.8 million in funds from bankers' fines.

The existing memorial in Camp Bastion will be dismantled as troops leave next year and as much of it as possible will be used in the Arboretum to provide a focal point for remembrance for families, friends and comrades.

The memorial will be built over the next 18 months and dedicated once combat operations in Afghanistan have ended.